


Brittle

by Merit



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, episodic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 04:23:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8431726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merit/pseuds/Merit
Summary: Natsume was not having a good day.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NightsMistress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightsMistress/gifts).



Natsume woke up with a sore throat, an aching head and a sneeze that just wouldn't escape. Even raising his arm seemed tiring. He breathed out through his mouth and winced as the cold air hit the back of his throat.

He opened his eyes, even they eyes seemed clogged with something, and stared dismally at the grey clouds hanging heavily outside. He sniffed. Nyanko-sensei popped one eye open, blinked, and then carefully moved several feet away.

“I don't think I can even get you sick,” Natsume said thickly. There was a delicate roll of Nyanko-sensei's shoulders.

“But you can sneeze on me,” Nyanko-sensei countered, before yawning. He snuggled deeper into the blankets at Natsume's feet. “Don't you have that big test today?”

Natsume's stomach rolled. He had been cramming with Nishimura, Kitamoto and even Sasada for hours this past week. They had all been so excited, even Sasada had been giggling by the end of the latest studying session, declaring that none of them could possibly fail now.

The knowledge seemed to have filtered out of his mind overnight, to be replaced by the cold. He wheezed as he sat up, blinking blearily at the sight of his room. For some reason it seemed to be tilting at odd angles. Natsume shook his head, then instantly cursed himself as his stomach heaved and sharp stabbing pains rolled down his whole body.

“I'd better go,” Natsume mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. He was fairly certain he wasn't that sick. And he'd most likely feel better once he was out of bed, fully clothed and – Natsume yawned, jaw creaking, already feeling too tired to continue.

There was a tap at the window and Natsume started. Almost lost amongst the grey clouds was a tiny youkai, waving at Natsume. It was a sickly grey colour, a white paper mask affixed to its face. It tapped again at the window, white mask fluttering in the growing wind.

Natsume got to his feet and staggered to the window. He cracked it open and the youkai rushed in. It shivered, twig thin arms rubbing itself. Natsume narrowed his eyes, they were twigs! A yellowing leaf on the left one, two brown leaves on the right arm, dangerously close to falling off.

It stared up at Natsume and he could almost imagine big eyes blinking behind the white mask.

“I hear you give back names,” the youkai said and Natsume felt his heart sink.

“I do,” he murmured.

“There'll be nothing for me,” Nyanko-sensei sobbed, “Nothing but the cover of the Book of Friends!”

The tiny youkai gave Nyanko-sensei one small look. Nyanko-sensei opened one eye and the little creature cowered.

“I do give back names,” Natsume said, “But I cannot this morning. I have school. And a test.”

The youkai tilted its head uncomprehendingly.

“But I will be able to this afternoon,” Natsume promised. “If you come back after the sun sets, I will be able to give your name back.”

Nyanko-sensei heaved a big, long sigh.

 

* * *

 

Touko took one long at Natsume and started to insist that he go back upstairs _now_. Natsume smiled rather fondly at her but shaking his head.

“I have an important test today,” he said, trying very hard not to sniff, but feeling the situation could get a lot messier if he didn't sniff soon. “I studied hard with everyone else. I don't want them worrying about me when they should be focusing on the test.”

Touko breathed out. She looked ready to argue, but after taking one look at Natsume's face and her shoulders fell. He was smiling, head tilted so his hair hid his eyes. He was very determinedly not going to take her advice.

“Oh Natsume,” she said, rushing over to brush her finger tips against his forehead. It was quite hot, but Touko took one look at the wind rustling against the trees outside and nodded firmly. “You'll need an extra scarf. And one of Shigure's old jumpers.”

She started to rush off before she noticed Natsume's cat watching her.

“And you!” She said firmly, “You'll have to keep a firm eye on Natsume.” The cat emitted an offended yowl. “I notice you following him most days to school, or trotting off to meet him for lunch,” the cat shifted, giving Natsume a guilty look. “Usually _after_ I have fed you,” the cat avoided her gaze, “So you'll have to take good care of him for me.”

“I'm sure he will, Touko-san,” Natsume murmured, face soft and smiling, it was the first genuine smile Touko had seen from him all morning.

 

* * *

 

Touko-san decided that he really needed two extra scarves and after bundling him up, it was only the tips of his ears and his eyes that were visible of his face. She twined her fingers together, muttering that she knew she had a knitted cap _somewhere_.

But Natsume rushed out, yelling he would be late for school. The running may have been too much.

The walk to school seemed to take three times as long as usual. Nyanko-sensei was surprisingly quiet for most of the trip, trotting next to Natsume, waddling around icy puddles.

“You can jump on my shoulders,” Natsume offered.

Nyanko-sensei gave him a disbelieving look. “And have you fall over? I would never get fish again!” He sniffed delicately before shaking his big head.

Natsume smiled behind his scarves.

Something cracked and Natsume jerked his head. He squinted at the leaves, it had sounded like a branch snapping, like something crawling through the undergrowth.

The leaves rustled in the air. A bird cried out.

Nothing else moved.

Nyanko-sensei gave the leaves a suspicious glance before shrugging his shoulders.

“Maybe just the wind,” he murmured.

“Yes,” Natsume agreed, turning back to the path again.

When he finally reached school, Sasada and Nishimura were at the entrance, huddled over several notebooks that Nishimura was flicking through. Natsume raised his hand to greet them.

“Oh you look terrible,” Nishimura said instantly. Natsume struggled to find the feeling to care and failed. He was just too tired.

“Don't be awful!” Sasada scolded, furrowing her brow. Then she blinked when she saw Natsume. “Oh. Well.” She gave Nishimura a slightly forgiving glance. “But you certainly don't look well.”

Natsume attempted a smile which didn't seem to assuage the paur at all. “It is nothing but a minor cold,” he said, hoping his voice didn't sound as nasally as it did to his aching ears. “You don't have to worry at all.”

Sasada and Nishimura shared a quick glance.

Natsume smiled again. Then he remembered he was wearing a scarf that hid his mouth. He pulled it down and tried again.

“Hey everyone – oh Natsume you look terrible,” Kitamoto said, as he jogged over to them. He ran a hand through his hair, looking at Sasada at the corner of his eye, obviously expecting a reprimand.

“He looks _very unwell_ ,” Sasada emphasised, crossing her arms and giving Natsume a weary look.

“I'm really fine,” Natsume said, backing away. “And I have class!”

Sasada gasped, looking at her watch. “We're nearly late!”

“Can the homeroom assistant be late,” Nishimura mused, as the others rushed past him.

“Not if I can help it!” Sasada yelled.

 

* * *

 

The race to their classroom almost destroyed Natsume's lungs. He wheezed heavily, bent over, while Nishimura and Kitamoto hovered nervously behind him.

“Are you sure you don't want to go the nurse's office?” Kitamoto said, running a hand through his hair.

“I'm fine,” Natsume said softly. It started off a chain coughing reaction. When he could finally breath again, he slowly straightened. “I'm really alright,” he murmured, smiling, “Just the cold air.”

The bell chimed.

Nishimura and Kitamoto didn't look entirely convinced so Natsume rushed over to his seat to forestall any further arguments. Sasada gave him a worried look from the front of the classroom but Natsume resolutely ignored her.

The day stretched out in infinity but Natsume found, if he focused really hard and didn't breathe too deeply, it was almost bearable. He breathed slowly in and out, watching his teacher write strange symbols on the blackboard. He blinked. It was math equations. He thought they were still studying Japanese literature – when did math start?

It wasn't until the afternoon that the test was handed out. Sasada paused by his desk, her lips pressed together tightly. Natsume tried to look as healthy as possible. She sighed, brushing hair out of her eyes and moved onto the next desk.

Natsume stared at the test in front on him. The text seemed to be moving. He blinked. Now it looked like something an exorcist would use to constrain youkai. He shuddered, which escalated to a shiver. Maybe he shouldn't have removed both of Touko-san's scarves…

Something tapped at the window.

He blinked, expecting to see the little grey youkai from the morning. Natsume gaped.

The grey youkai could have fit on one of this youkai's fingers.

“Natsume Reiko,” the youkai wailed, an unnerving shriek that caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise. “Natsume Reiko give me back my name!” The youkai reached out, dark jagged nails scraping against the glass.

He gasped, pushing his chair back with a screech.

“Natsume!” His teacher scolded. “There's a test on!” There was a small laugh around the classroom. The teacher rounded on the students, glasses falling down his nose. Once the teacher only heard the sound of pen against paper, he turned on Natsume again. “Sit.”

Natsume sat with a thud. Slowly he turned to face the window once more. The giant youkai was gone. He breathed out slowly.

But it was snowing.

Tiny white flakes drifting down from the silent sky. Natsume shivered, wishing for Touko-san's scarf once more.

 

* * *

 

“Natsume!”

Natsume turned his weary body in the direction of the voice. It was Tanuma.

“You look horrible,” Tanuma said, breathing heavily. He nodded at Nyanko-sensei. “Sasada told me you were sick,” he said. “You should have gone home early, Natsume.”

He tried not to sigh. He almost wished he had stayed home. Natsume was fairly certain he had done terribly on the test. Touko-san wouldn't scold him, but he didn't want to disappoint her. He shrugged at Tanuma, playing the strap of his bag.

“Didn't want to disappoint everyone after they studied so hard,” Natsume murmured. An expression flickered across Tanuma's face, so quickly Natsume couldn't recognise it. “I wanted to get home before it started snowing again, but,” he said, shrugging and gesturing to the grey clouds above them, the white snow swirling above their heads.

Tanuma shook his head helplessly. “It is early for snow,” he said, the first of the flakes hitting his black hair. Natsume looked over him at him.

“You have,” he said, gesturing to Tanuma's face. Tanuma blinked, snow flakes in his eyelashes.

“Always happens,” Tanuma said, smiling. Natsume ducked his head, the corners of his mouth quirking up.

Nyanko-sensei sighed slightly but Natsume ignored him.

They walked onward, the snow crunching underneath their feet, yellow grass jutting out under clumps of snow.

The wind seemed to grow stronger as they walked past silent houses, howling against walls, other people rushing past them in their haste to get home. Natsume wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. After a moment, Tanuma stepped closer, their shoulders brushing as they hurried home.

Huddled together, his vision caught by Tanuma at his side, Tanuma's black hair brushing his cheek. It was enough of distraction that Natsume almost forgot he felt quite ill.

They turned a corner and Natsume instantly jumped back. The large youkai from before was there. In the growing dark, it was large and grey, a small white spot at its midsection. The teeth were long shadows, fingers like swords with hooks on the end. The youkai didn't have eyes, only hollows, but Natsume felt watched nonetheless. It looked like a monster from a story.

The air seemed to leave Natsume as he looked up at the youkai.

Tanuma opened his mouth, frowning and then noticed the shadow, the barest smudge against the ground as the sun set behind grey clouds.

“Give me back my name, Natsume Reiko!” it shrieked. Natsume's ears popped and he winced, covering them as he stepped back again.

“I'm not Natsume Reiko!” Natsume cried out, exasperated.

Nyanko-sensei flexed his claws. “There'll be nothing for me!” He shook his fat head, keeping the large youkai in his sight.

“What's happening?” Tanuma said quietly, gaze flickering between Natsume, Nyanko-sensei and the large, shifting shadow. It flickered in and out of existence, faster than Tanuma could blink.

“There's a youkai!” Natsume yelled to Tanuma “Run!”

“I'm not leaving leaving you!” Tanuma said, stepping closer to Natsume, trying to keep an eye on the shadow that kept on twisting in and out of existence. Natsume exhaled through his teeth.

“The sun has set, Natsume Reiko,” the youkai hummed, eerie and off key, “And you haven't given my name back.”\

Natsume's stared past the youkai's shoulder. The darkness approached, not even a yellow smudge at the horizon.

Then the youkai lashed out and Natsume was flung off his feet and against a low wall. He hissed then coughed several times, clutching his sore hip. He was only lucky that the youkai hadn't hit him that hard.

“Natsume!” Nyanko-sensei cried out. Nyanko-sensei turned on the youkai, suddenly shifting to his larger form. “You shouldn't have done that!” He growled, white tail lashing in the air. The building crowded him in and Nyanko-sensei growled as his tail hit a building.

The youkai shrank back.

Natsume staggered to his feet, hand pressed to his stomach. Tanuma rushed over, one hand grabbing his, Tanuma's other hand resting gently on his shoulder. Natsume swayed, his head pounding. Then he shrugged off Tanuma's hands. He couldn't afford to be weak when Tanuma was here.

“Was it you this morning?” He asked, flinging a hand in front of Tanuma. He couldn't let this youkai hurt Tanuma when Tanuma had only accompanied him out of kindness.

The youkai rocked back and forth on its heels.

“We knew not to trust you,” it murmured, a two toned voice. “You lied before,” it said, raising its head to stare accusingly down at Natsume.

Natsume swallowed.

“The sun sets earlier this time of year,” he said quietly, bowing his head, “I apologise.”

The youkai watched Natsume carefully, body swaying back and forth as the wind picked up. The snow was falling heavily now and Natsume could almost see it through the youkai's body.

“And I am not Natsume Reiko,” Natsume said. “I am Natsume Takashi, her grandson. Natsume Reiko died many years ago.”

The youkai twitched, growing smaller.

“You humans live so shortly,” it said, waving one hand, the claws were smaller barely longer than Natsume's fingers now. “And you all look so alike,” it added.

Natsume nodded. “So alike,” he said as he reached for his satchel slowly, watching the youkai shrink until it was almost the size of the tiny youkai that had visited this morning.

“I can give you back you your name now,” he said. Nyanko-sensei sighed heavily as he shifted out of his large white form, a small lucky cat plopping back on the ground. Nyanko-sensei watched as Natsume pulled out of his satchel. The pages started flowing until one page went straight, Natsume reached for it.

He took a hold of the paper, pictured the youkai in front of him, placed it in his mouth, exhaled and -

 

* * *

 

As ever, Natsume saw Reiko, smiling, tossing her hair back like she didn't have a worry in the world. She looked larger than life from the little youkai's perspective, limned in gold as the sun set.

“Aren't you unusual,” Reiko murmured, watching the small youkai's stretch and shift until it was far greater than what was visible to the naked eye.

The small youkai started back, white mask fluttering, as it took in the strange human girl who was paying attention to it.

“Humans aren't supposed to notice us,” it said, voice wavering.

Reiko laughed, carelessly carefree. She ran a hand through her hair, turning so the tiny youkai could only see her profile, the rest of her in shadow as the sun set.

“Do you want to a play a game?” Reiko said.

“It will be dark soon,” the youkai said. “More dangerous things will come out then. Humans should be in their houses,” it added, disapprovingly.

Reiko shrugged. “Oh I'm not worried. I'll be able to beat them anyway,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder and giving the youkai a bright grin.

“Oh,” the youkai said at this strange human girl.

Her eyes narrowed. “Do you want to play a game?”

 

* * *

 

“Karada, I give you back your name.”

The youkai, Karada, grew bigger as its name was returned to them. Then it slowly breathed out, shrinking until it was a small youkai again.

“Thank you Natsume Takashi,” Karada whispered, double voiced, “Thank you for returning my name.”

Natsume sagged as the youkai disappeared. Then he collapsed the ground, grunting as his knees hit the ground

“Natsume!” Tanuma exclaimed, racing over and hauling him up. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Hmm,” Nyanko-sensei muttered, sniffing Natsume delicately. “Another name?” He sighed heavily, keeping a careful eye on Natsume.

“Ponta!” Tanuma said, “Go get help, boy!”

Nyanko-sensei's tail went rigid as he yelled, “What-what-what!” Natsume smiled weakly. He felt slightly better now. Even if he felt alternatively too hot and then cold. He shivered, falling deeper into his coat and Tanuma's embrace. Tanuma's grip tightened, his face paling as he looked at Natsume.

Natsume smiled weakly at Tanuma, before shaking his head.

“I think I'll be okay to stand now,” he murmured. But he needed Tanuma's assistance to even stand. As he took a wobbly step forward, Natsume almost collapsed. However Tanuma caught him by the elbow, then wrapped an arm around Natsume's waist.

“I'll help you home, hey?” Tanuma murmured, breath warm against his ear.

And all Natsume wanted was to go home.

He nodded.

 

* * *

 

Touko gasped when she saw Tanuma and Natsume at the entryway.

“I'm home,” Natsume said, the warmth of the house started to leech through his layers.

“Oh Natsume,” Touko murmured, rushing over to Natsume and laying a hand against his forehead. She bit her lip nervously. “I knew I shouldn't have allowed you to go to school today,” she said, helping Natsume take off his coat, as he toed off his shoes. She flung a glance at Tanuma, noting his expression. “And you! Thank you for bringing Natsume home. You'll have to stay for tea.”

“Um,” Tanuma said.

“Come in,” Touko said, dragging Natsume forward so quickly he barely had time to slide into his house slippers. “The guest slippers are to the left,” she added.

Tanuma took of his shoes and put on the slippers. Nyanko-sensei gave him a side long glance.

“You did good today, Ponta,” Tanuma said, reaching down and rubbing the cat's ears. The cat went rigid before relaxing under his fingers. Tanuma straightened and followed the voices – Touko's was discernible, Natsume a soft murmur, like soft rain against a window – until he was standing an entryway.

Touko had sat Natsume at the kitchen table and had already wrapped two blankets around Natsume, who was almost invisible. There was a tea kettle on the stove. Touko gave Tanuma a warm node, before turning her attention to Natsume again.

“And your head? It isn't worrying you?” she said, fussing with the blanket around his shoulders.

Natsume shook his head. “No, I'm fine,” his eyelashes lowered as Touko pressed a hand against his cheek. “You don't need to worry, Touko-san,” Natsume insisted.

“Oh I can't help but worry about you,” Touko insisted. “Especially when you come home, your coat wet and covered in dirt.”

“The snow was unexpected,” Natsume said.

Touko sighed deeply, staring at Natsume with a fond if exasperated expression on her face. Then the kettle whistled. She started. “Oh,” she said, turning to face Tanuma for a moment, “Please have a seat.”

He sat, sparing a fond smile for Natsume, who blushed and ducked his head. But he was smiling, his eyes light. He leaned into Touko's touch when she worriedly pressed a hand against his forehead again. 

"Oh you're far too hot," she fretted, tucking the blanket around Natsume further.

"I'm fine," Natsume said. 

Touko looked at him despairingly. She stared over at Tanuma and he shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"He's always like this," he admitted. Natsume started, shifting the blanket around his shoulders. He didn't meet anyone's eyes.

"He is, isn't he?" Touko said, bustling back over to the kettle. She poured two cups of tea and then brought then over. "But we care."

Tanuma nodded, taking the cup with a polite smile, watching Natsume blush even pinker.

 

* * *

 

 

Natsume closed his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep. His head hurt, but he felt so warm, just on the edge of sleep, that it was easy to ignore. He started when he felt a nudge at him knee and raised his head. Nyanko-sensei gave him a steady look before yawning.

“The sky has cleared,” Natsume murmured, looking out his window. The moon shone brightly in the sky, clouds running as a strong wind swept them away.

“So it has,” Nyanko-sensei said. Nyanko-sensei pressed his head against Natsume's knee. Natsume closed his eyes again, smiling.


End file.
